Lynn Ford:
Tour de España.

Having successfully concluded her first-year classes, Lynn Ford could not wait until the fall to begin coursework in international law. Over the summer, she took three courses on the topic through UM Law's study abroad program in Spain, Tour de España.

The first two weeks of the 7 ½ week program was a balance between sightseeing and one academic course. After the initial week in Madrid, the program made its way to Fuengirola, visiting Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, and Granada along the way. "There were about seventy students on the program and everyone was required to take Comparative Criminal Justice Systems during the first session. The class met every day, including weekends, for 2 ½ hours in the conference rooms at our hotels." After the final exam in Fuengirola, students had a two week hiatus before the second session of classes commenced in Barcelona. Between sessions, Lynn elected to go on Tour de España's optional twelve-day Mediterranean Adventure, which visited sites in Italy and Southern France.

The second session of the program was conducted at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, where students took two courses. Lynn took Transnational Litigation, and International Commercial Contracts. "Even though each class was only two credit hours, there was a lot of substance packed into those two hours and I received a wealth of practical knowledge on international and comparative law. The program was a nice blend of travel and academics. In addition to the cultural and historical sites we visited, we also visited the Spanish Parliament in Madrid and in Barcelona we attended a fantastic panel discussion at Cuatrecasas, one of the largest law firms in Europe. The program really did an excellent job of presenting the contrasts between the legal systems of Europe and the United States."

Lynn's hometown is Mobile, Alabama. She studied at Florida State University for her undergraduate degree in communications with a French minor. Before moving to Miami, she lived in Macon, Georgia for nine years. "I was a returning student who had been working for the past twelve years and I was looking for a law school where I didn't feel like I stood out because I wasn't 23 years old. I came down for the Law Day for Admitted Students program and the diversity at Miami set the school apart from the other law schools that I was considering."

Now a second-year student, Lynn is beginning to explore another legal interest, maritime law. She is taking Admiralty this fall and she hopes to clerk at a firm where she can gain some experience in the maritime practice. Lynn is a member of the Moot Court Board, Honor Council, Miami Law Women, an intern at the Center for Ethics and Public Service, and the chair of the Ambassadors program.